O gauge bridge by American Made Steel Bridge

Bridges. If you don’t need one now, as just about every model railroader knows, you will eventually. And there’s no shortage of options for the S or O gauge modeler, whether you want a steel, a plastic, or a wooden bridge.

I recently had a chance to check out a pre-production sample of a good, solid, basic bridge – made of steel and fabricated in far-off, exotic Illinois. This is the product, so to speak, of a guy with a need for a bridge and another guy with a machine shop and time available on the production line.

The O gauge structure is a fairly standard design, whether you look in the real world or model world. The essential element is a bridge measuring 18 inches long and 5 inches wide, with a clear overhead space of 6½ inches.

The deck is made from 24-gauge steel, and the superstructure is made with 18-gauge steel wire straps. In and of itself this is a nice structure, and it puts my childhood Marx Rock Island trestle to shame.

The clever factor kicks in when you consider how to use two of the same basic single bridges for a longer run. The answer is to drill some holes, and use an 18-inch-long, steel joiner section (U-shaped with the open end of the U downward) to mate both of the single bridge sections.

The joiner section mates with 9 inches of each bridge section for a pretty strong connection.

The bridge won’t sag under normal operation. To get it to sag, you’d probably have to rest an 80-pound bag of Sakrete mix on top, and I’d suspect the layout – not the bridge – would be the first thing to give out.

I could have used a 3-foot-long bridge like this when I was building my home layout!

I thought the bridge was also priced very nicely ($50 per bridge; buy two at once and receive the joining section at no cost – shipping is extra), especially in these budget-conscious times.

In my examination of this sample from American Made Steel Bridge, I’d rate it as solidly constructed and set in a generally pleasing design that can fit into a century of railroad eras.

If you’re looking for a bridge to cross a narrow gap, or something more ambitious, this structure is worthy of a bit of research before you buy!

Price: $50 per section
Features: 18- and 24-gauge steel construction, basic unit is 18 inches long

Order direct from American Made Steel Bridge, P.O. Box 151, Winter Haven, FL 33884, call 863-299-2588, or for more information email obridge@qualityadjustments.com